Once Homo sapiens learned that sound could be made by banging on solid objects and by the human voice, he/she found a reed by the river and blew into it and a type of flute was born. Mammoth tusks, animal bones, and of course, bamboo flutes have been around for over 40,000 years and all have contributed to the birth of music. It is easy to understand that the flute is, if you'll pardon the pun, instrumental in the mystical arts. Kim Bold substantiates that notion on her album AncesTree. The recording is eight tracks of soothing flute music that exemplifies the bond between music and the otherworldly realms. Kim takes us around the planet and through her music, offers what I really think are rituals or rites that establish a connection to other worlds. The music opens a portal, a gate if you will, as she summons kindred spirits from worlds we have yet to discover.

In the dry desert in southern Peru, the Nazca Lines, drawings made of crushed stones seen from great heights, were created to serve a purpose, to honor a God. When I learned about these lines in the sixties, it always made perfect sense. If your God lives in the heavens, looking down, surely He or She would be pleased to see man's attempt at respect. In the song Nazca, the flute and voice mix to create a prayer offered up to the skies as pulsing bass notes form a background to the reverent flute.

A crash of thunder begins the tune When The Rains Came>. It is a contemporary song, but it feels like it is trying to express old world sentiment. The music is melancholy and flowing and a reminder to every pluviophile that with the rains come a cleansing sensation as if the tears of sadness, the ugliness of the world and the aching in our hearts is somehow washed away.

We travel to Eire in the tune Tenalach, the Gaelic word expressing a connection with the land, water and sky, to Nature herself. I have this connection and I know how spiritual it is (for me) when I stroll in the forests, walk the mountain trails or sit by the lake and stare in the distance. When the mists clears, when the sun warms the air, I can only say there is a feeling of peace like no other. Kim captures this emotion perfectly in the song and it became my favorite on the album. You can hear the earth sing.

Kim uses a number of flutes and a rumbling drone in the tune Stone Cathedral. She opened my eyes, but offered me dreams in which I saw star studded skies, felt cool crisp air and saw the standing stones towering in the distance. The fire danced before me and the flames were like ghostly hands raised to the heavens. The resplendent music has a mesmerizing effect.

Kim takes us north to the land of Fire and Ice. We are witness to the Blue Crystal Caves of Iceland. The caves were formed where the sea meets the land and the lights that passes through this ice structures is a beautiful sapphire blue. The coolness of the color and the feeling it imparts is one of utter calm and Kim's song Blue Crystal Cave only serves to magnify that sensation.

The final cut is called East and West. The sound of Native American flute echoes throughout the piece and combines with the sacred mantra of Om. Mind, body and spirit are allowed to coalesce and migrate into a quiet world where souls go to transform into light. It is not surprising that Kim balances these worlds perfectly in her song, as all great experiences have universal elements.

I honestly wish that AncesTree had more than eight tracks. I thoroughly enjoyed every cut and played this album repeated because of the satisfaction and quietude is provided. I look forward to hearing more of Kim Bold's work. Highly recommended.